Creating Integrated Employment Opportunities for People With Disabilities

/in , /by Pam Katz

The disability community is one of the most overlooked talent pools in today’s labor force, causing many job seekers with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to remain unemployed. At the same time, many employers who want to hire people with disabilities are hindered by a lack of training and capacity to provide accommodations and supports to their new hires.

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Moving From Facility-Based to Community-Based Programs in the Time of COVID-19: Best Practices and Strategies

/in , , /by Pam Katz

The coronavirus has presented unprecedented challenges to disability services agencies and has caused many in our field to reimagine the way services are offered, including moving away from facility-based programs employment toward individualized, community-based employment and community life engagement supports. The Arc and ICI developed toolkits to guide organizational transformation and offers technical assistance to support disability services agencies to switch from providing facility-based to individualized, community-based employment and community life engagement supports.

Download the presentation here.

Speakers:

  • Jennifer Sulewski, Ph.D., FAAIDD, Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI)
  • Cindy Thomas, M.S., CRC, Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI)
  • Jaimie Timmons, MSW, Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI)

For further questions, please email leblois@thearc.org.

 

 

FINDS Community Report Data Tables

/in , , , , , , /by The Arc

As our society continues to depend on the active engagement of family caregivers for the support of individuals with ID/DD, it is important to understand and respond to the needs of those caregivers.

The 2010 Family and Individual Needs for Disability Supports (FINDS) survey focused on issues including educational, housing, employment and support needs of people with ID/DD and their families. Family caregivers in 2010 reported substantial ongoing challenges to providing lifelong supports to family members with intellectual or developmental disabilities. View the Data Tables to get a more robust analysis of the data on family caregivers collected throughout the survey.

2010 FINDS National Survey Family and Individual Needs for Disability Supports: Technical Report

/in , , , , , , /by The Arc

Most of the growth in services in the last half century has been to support people living in their own or a family home. However, between 2009 and 2011, the economic difficulties of the prolonged national recession began to slow the growth or in some places to result in actual reductions in publicly funded supports to families throughout the United States. Family caregivers play critically important roles in supporting the well-being of people with ID/DD. This is true for family members who are the primary caregiver as well as for those whose family member with ID/DD live in their own homes or in supported residential settings. As our society continues to depend on the active engagement of family caregivers for the support of individuals with ID/DD, it is important to understand and respond to the needs of those caregivers. In 2010 The Arc of the United States conducted a national internet survey that aimed to capture the perspectives of people with ID/DD and their family caregivers. The Family and Individual Needs for Disability Supports (FINDS) survey focused on issues including educational, housing, employment and support needs of people with ID/DD and their families. Family caregivers in 2010 reported substantial ongoing challenges to providing lifelong supports to family members with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

Still in the Shadows with Their Future Uncertain: A Report on Family and Individual Needs for Disability Supports (FINDS), 2011

/in , , , , , , /by The Arc

Despite gains in many areas, overall the results from the FINDS survey show that our efforts as a nation have fallen short of the vision of an America where people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are accepted and have the supports they need to live to their full potential in the community.

The Family and Individual Needs for Disability Supports (FINDS) survey was conducted online from July 22, 2010 to October 31, 2010. The survey was widely disseminated through a variety of groups, including: the Association of University Centers on Disabilities, the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, the American Network of Community Options and Resources, the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered, the National Council on Independent Living, Best Buddies, Easter Seals, the Autism Society of America and state and local chapters of The Arc. Families from all 50 states and DC completed surveys. Nearly 5,000 caregivers responded (4,962). The vast majority of caregiver respondents were family members (95%) who are living with their family member with disabilities (75%), and who are female (89%), Caucasian (90%) and married (75%). The results are representative of the people who heard about the survey and responded and may not be representative of all people with disabilities and their families. Data analysis was performed by Lynda Anderson, Sheryl A. Larson, Allise Wuorio and K. Charlie Lakin of the Research and Training Center on Community Living, Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota.

Employment of People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: 2017 Snapshot

/in , , , , /by The Arc

Despite recent progress in employment legislation and local-level employment initiatives, finding and securing meaningful and community-based employment opportunities continues to be a major challenge for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) – including people with autism, Down syndrome, and other diagnoses across the country. The Family & Individual Needs for Disability Supports (FINDS) survey asked caregivers about some of the underlying causes for the large gaps that exist in employment outcomes for people with disabilities. The results indicate that there is a significant need to immediately address and improve practices that facilitate education and employment for people with IDD.

Position Statement: Employment

/in , , , , , /by The Arc

Position statement of The Arc and the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities on employment.